There is plenty of excitement for the Minnesota Vikings coming into Saturday’s preseason opener. With the Denver Broncos coming to town, fans will pack U.S. Bank Stadium to see the Vikings take their first steps toward preparing for the regular season.
Then the first quarter will end, the backups will enter the game, and the crowd will enjoy their Saturday doing something else.
Okay, so maybe the first preseason game doesn’t have the hype that the regular season offers. But there are still plenty of things to keep an eye on during the game. One of the more intriguing storylines that hasn’t garnered attention is what will happen in the Vikings’ backfield.
The Vikings have one of the league’s best running backs in Dalvin Cook, but with a workload that could flirt with 400 touches this season, the Vikings would be crazy to play him in the preseason. This gives Alexander Mattison and Kene Nwangwu a chance to showcase themselves for a bigger role in the regular season.
A portion of the Vikings’ fan base has aligned themselves with Mattison after a strong rookie season in 2019. With 462 yards and PFF metrics that exceeded Cook’s, there was a thought that the Vikings could have used the younger, cheaper Mattison instead of paying Cook $63 million.
One year later, that discussion looks ridiculous.
Mattison had a tough 2020. His stats (434 yards, two TD) weren’t terrible, but it didn’t indicate a jump from his rookie year. After failing to hit a wide-open hole to seal a victory in Seattle, Mattison got the start the following week and had 29 yards on 10 carries before essentially being mothballed in the second half of the season.
This could have been due to an appendectomy that knocked Mattison out for three games down the stretch. However, the Vikings opted to add Nwangwu in this year’s draft.
Nwangwu is one of the most intriguing players coming into camp due to his limited role at Iowa State. Stuck behind David Montgomery and Breece Hall, Nwangwu had just 150 touches in four seasons with the Cyclones. But when he did get the football, he was able to showcase his blazing speed.
It would be one thing if the Vikings took a chance on Nwangwu as an undrafted free agent. Last season, the Vikings made a similar move by signing Dan Chisena, who had a 4.32-second time in the 40-yard dash but only played special teams at Penn State. But the Vikings took Nwangwu in the fourth round of last April’s draft, hinting they see him as more than a special teams player.
“When you look at the touches that he does have [at Iowa State]…he’s a one-cut runner that fits perfectly in this scheme,” Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said after the draft. “When you’ve got a kid that’s a six-foot running back, that’s 210 pounds, and that runs a 4.31 [second time] in the 40, that kid has a chance to be pretty special.”
This is where things could get interesting on Saturday. It’s unlikely that Klint Kubiak will unveil jet sweeps, wildcat formations, and other exotic plays, but Nwangwu could get those opportunities if he succeeds in basic situations.
Remember, the Vikings were in a similar situation in 2018 with little depth behind Cook and Latavius Murray. Mike Boone and Roc Thomas created big plays against the Broncos in the first preseason game and helped pave their way onto the roster.
Mattison’s spot on the roster isn’t in danger, but he could be demoted with a strong preseason from Nwangwu. If Nwangwu showcases the potential the Vikings see in him, he could be a dynamic complement behind Cook.
